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Cosatu must take its strike to ‘Saxonwold, the headquarters of state capture’, says Mashaba

26 September 2017 - 09:24
Nomahlubi Jordaan and Kgaugelo Masweneng

The Gupta's compound in Saxonwold. Picture: ALON SKUY/THE TIMES

Johannesburg mayor Herman Mashaba says Cosatu’s planned national strike on Wednesday should also go to the Gupta residence in Saxonwold.

"Unfortunately‚ Cosatu’s planned strike fails to take the protest to the headquarters of state capture‚ Saxonwold at the Gupta residence‚" Mashaba said in a statement.

"If Cosatu and its affiliates are determined to fight corruption‚ they must first take this fight to where corruption is planned‚ at Saxonwold."

Cosatu has promised that the demonstration will be peaceful.

National spokesman Sizwe Pamla said: "Though this is a national strike‚ we are not anarchic. We will not be disturbing any services. We are aware that we have the potential to shut down schools‚ transport services and so forth, but we won’t do that.

"People will be able to go to work and continue with their lives without any interruption. We actually condemn any act against the inconvenience of the people."

Cosatu said it was talking to big businesses to allow workers time off to join in the strike.

Pamla is confident of a huge turnout for the demonstration.

"We expect all Cosatu members‚ the majority of which will turn up‚ and of course members of society to join in the strike. This is not just another state capture protest but one by workers. We have seen them in Cape Town and Pretoria and some by opposition parties‚ but this one is for everyone across the country‚" said Pamla.

In response to a question on whether the federation is fractured or not‚ Pamla said that the union took its time to rebuild itself and it was confident that there were no divisions among its members.

The National Union of Metalworkers of SA (Numsa) has labelled the planned strike "an act of desperation" by Cosatu‚ which Pamla vehemently slammed.

"This is laughable because Cosatu is 32 years old and striking is our thing‚ that’s what we do‚ we strike. We used to take them seriously but we stopped with that nonsense five years ago. They have at some point tried to come back to the federation. So who is desperate here? I mean‚ five years later they are still talking about us.

"They are struggling to find themselves so all they do is watch over us. We gave them the freedom to be radical‚ now why are they not being radical? They are talking a lot about us because they can see that we have moved past them‚" he said.

Pamla said that Numsa was not invited to join the strike in the first place.

Cosatu said it would make a series of demands during the upcoming strike‚ including that President Jacob Zuma appoint a judicial commission of inquiry to investigate state capture‚ as directed by former public protector Thuli Madonsela.

Cosatu said the money recovered from those involved in state capture should be redirected to projects that addressed the plight of workers‚ the working class and the poor.

In Johannesburg people are expected to gather at Cosatu House in Braamfontein at 10am and march to hand over memorandums to the City of Johannesburg‚ the Department of Labour‚ the Chamber of Mines‚ First National Bank and other banks, and the premier’s office.

Durban members will gather at DinuZulu (Botha Park) and march to city hall to deliver a memorandum to the premier.

In Polokwane the designated meeting area will be at the SABC Park and people will march to Shoprite‚ the premier’s office and Anglo Platinum to hand over memorandums.